Objective:To understand the current status of personal protection in occupational population at high risk for brucellosis in China and provide evidence for the evaluation of implementation of National Brucellosis Prevention and Control Plan (2016-2020).Methods:Four counties in Shanxi Province and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region were selected to conduct a questionnaire survey in occupational population at high risk for brucellosis from December 2019 to July 2020 by using cross-sectional survey methods.Results:A total of 2 384 persons at high risk for brucellosis were surveyed, and the standardized utilization rate of personal protective equipment (PPE) was 20.13% (480/2 384). The utilization rate of glove, mask, rubber shoe, and work cloth were 38.26% (912/2 384), 31.80% (758/2 384), 32.01% (763/2 384) and 30.87% (736/2 384),respectively. There were significant differences in the utilization rate and standardized utilization rate of the four types of PPE among populations in different age, occupation, educational level and area groups (all P<0.001). The utilization rate and standardized utilization rate of PPE were lower in people over 60 years old, women, farmers, and those with lower educational level. The results of multivariate analysis showed that occupation and area were the influencing factors for the standardized utilization of PPE, the standardized utilization rates of PPE were higher in herdsmen and veterinarians. The standardized utilization rate of PPE in Yanggao County and Huocheng County was significantly higher than that in Zuoyun County and Hunyuan County. Conclusions:The utilization rate of the four types of PPE in occupational population at high risk for brucellosis was not high in China, and the standardized utilization rate was low, lower than the requirement in National Brucellosis Prevention and Control Plan, and there were significant differences among different areas. It is urgent to distribute PPE to occupational population at high risk for brucellosis and carry out health education about PPE utilization. Meanwhile, it is necessary to strengthen information exchange or sharing among different areas.

Objective To longitudinally analyze the perioperative serum levels of inflammatory fac-tors in patients with hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage(HICH),and to explore their correla-tion with prognosis.Methods A total of 173 HICH patients admitted to our hospital from Febru-ary 2021 to January 2023 were consecutively enrolled.Their serum levels of inflammatory factors were measured before operation,and in 6,12,24,48 and 72 h after operation.All of them were fol-lowed up for 6 months,and according to their prognosis,they were divided into good prognosis group(116 patients)and poor prognosis group(57 patients).Multivariate logistic regression anal-ysis was applied to analyze the correlation of the perioperative serum inflammatory factors with HICH prognosis.Results In these HICH patients,IL-6 and IL-1β were increased continuously within 72 h after operation,and the TNF-α level reached its peak at 48 h after operation.The poor prognosis group had significantly longer time from bleeding to admission(6.32±1.50 h vs 5.14±2.00 h),larger hematoma[35.50(24.50,46.00)ml vs 30.00(21.00,41.50)ml],and higher ratio of hematoma breaking into ventricles(28.07％vs 2.59％),and lower GCS score at admission(10.07±1.32 vs 11.00±0.85)when compared with the good prognosis group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the levels of IL-6,IL-1β and TNF-α at different postoperative time points were independent influencing factors for poor prognosis of HICH patients(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Conclusion Serum levels of inflammatory factors IL-6,IL-1βand TNF-α are all elevated in HIGH patients during perioperative period,and their increments at different time points are correlated with the increased risk of adverse prognosis in the patients within 6 months after operation.

Objective:To understand the current status of knowledge of brucellosis prevention and control among occupational groups at high-risk of brucellosis, and to provide a scientific basis for assessing the effectiveness of brucellosis prevention and control in China.Methods:A total of four counties in Shanxi Province and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region were selected as survey counties from 2019 to 2020, and 600 people from the occupational groups at high-risk of brucellosis in each survey county were selected as survey respondents, and basic information and knowledge of prevention and treatment were collected through questionnaires. Single-factor and multi-factor logistic regression models were used to analyze the factors affecting the population's knowledge of prevention and treatment.Results:A total of 2 411 people participated in the survey and 2 384 valid questionnaires were obtained, including 1 405 males and 979 females, with the youngest age being 18 years old, the oldest being 91 years old, and the median being 57 years old. The overall knowledge of brucellosis prevention and control was 17.74% (423/2 384). The knowledge rate was lower among people over 60 years old, farmers, and people with less than elementary school education (13.99%, 14.50%, and 13.78%), and higher among women, herders, and people with elementary school education (20.02%, 36.33%, and 19.58%); the knowledge rate was lower in Hunyuan County (0.51%), and the differences in overall knowledge rates by age, occupation, education level, and region were statistically significant (χ 2 = 18.25, 87.18, 11.05, 197.43, P < 0.001). Multi-factor logistic regression analysis showed that gender, occupation, literacy and region were associated with knowledge of prevention and treatment ( P < 0.05). Conclusions:The overall knowledge of prevention and treatment among high-risk occupational groups in the key areas of China's brucellosis prevention and treatment program is low, with a large gap with the goals of the national brucellosis prevention and treatment program, and gender, occupation, literacy level, and region are the influencing factors of the knowledge of prevention and treatment. There is an urgent need to carry out a variety of health education activities for high-risk occupational groups and to strengthen the exchange of experience on brucellosis prevention and treatment between regions.

Objective:To explore the skin conditions, skin diseases, and physiological functions of the facial skin in plateau children.Methods:It was a cross-sectional study. A total of 327 children aged 6-12 years which included 164 males (9.97±2.56 years) and 163 females (10.23±2.05 years) were recruited in this study from six different altitude groups from June 2022 to February 2024 at the Department of Dermatology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University: Yongren group, Kunming group, Meigu group, Dashanbao group, Lashihai group, and Rikaze group at altitudes of 1 500, 1 800, 2 000, 3 100, 3 500, and 3 800 m. and 76, 63, 21, 34, 64, and 69 children were recruited from each group, respectively. The facial skin characteristics and the transepidermal water loss, stratum corneum hydration, the L * value, and the a * value, which were tested by non-invasive instruments, were collected. Subsequently, meteorological data for the six locations were obtained from CNKI and China Meteorological Data Service Centre, including monthly temperature, monthly humidity, and annual sunshine duration. Finally, all data were analyzed using SPSS 29.0. Results:The top five facial skin diseases in 327 children were telangiectasia (249, 82.57%), freckles (173, 52.91%), nevus (125, 38.23%), pityriasis alba (98, 29.97%), and scars (93, 28.44%). In addition, a total of 15 cases of melasma with a lower score of mMASI were identified in this study. In all the subjects, 7.65% had severe desquamation, 19.57% had moderate desquamation, and 40.98% had mild desquamation. The whole transepidermal water loss value of highland children＇s face was (6.55±3.95) g·m -2·h -1, the stratum corneum hydration value was (24.19±19.45) au, the L * value was (51.76±4.31) au, the a * value was (15.60±2.29) au. The Dashanbao group was higher than the other 5 groups ( F=18.76, P<0.05), and the stratum corneum hydration of the Lashihai and Rikaze groups was higher than any other groups ( F=157.292, P<0.05), the L * value of the Meigu group was the lowest in any other 5 groups ( F=14.06, P<0.05), the a * value of the Kunming group was lower than other all groups ( F=11.88, P<0.05). Conclusions:The proportion of facial skin diseases varies slightly across altitudes, with significant differences in skin barrier function among the six groups of children with impaired skin barrier function in the highlands.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with rheumatic diseases and abnormal liver function, as well as determine the proportion and severity of liver function abnormalities.Methods:Cross-sectional study. Data were collected from patients registered in the Chinese Rheumatism Date Center from 2011 to 2021. The rheumatic diseases analyzed in this study were rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Sjogren syndrome (SS), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and gout. Patient data, including demographic characteristics [ such as age, sex, body mass index,(BMI), and smoking history], liver function test results [including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase(ALP), and total bilirubin], and use of anti-rheumatic immune drugs and liver-protective drugs, were collected and compared between groups with normal and abnormal liver functions. In addition, the proportions of abnormal liver function were compared between sex and age groups.Results:A total of 116 308 patients were included in this study, including 49 659 with RA, 17 597 with SLE, 9 039 with SS, 11 321 with AS, and 28 692 with gout. The lowest proportion of liver function abnormalities was observed in patients with RA[11.02% (5 470/49 659)], followed by those with SS[17.97% (1 624/9 039)] and AS [18.22% (2 063/11 321) ], whereas patients with SLE [21.14% (3 720/17 597) ] and gout [28.73% (8 242/28 692)] exhibited the highest proportion of these abnormalities. Elevated ALT, mostly classified as grade 1, was the most commonly noted liver function abnormality, whereas elevated ALP was the least common. Some patients who took liver-protective drugs had normal liver function, with the lowest percentage observed in patients with gout [7.45% (36/483) ] and ranging from 21.7% to 30.34% in patients with RA, SLE, SS, and AS. The proportion of liver function abnormalities was higher in males than in females for all disease types [RA: 13.8%(1 368/9 906) vs. 10.3%(4 102/39 753); SLE: 33.6% (479/1 424) vs. 20.0% (3 241/16 173); SS: 25.4%(111/437) vs. 17.6%(1 513/8 602); AS: 20.1%(1 629/8 119) vs. 13.6% (434/3 202); and gout: 29.3% (8 033/27 394) vs. 16.1% (209/1 298)]. In RA, SLE, and AS, the proportions of liver function abnormalities were similar across all age groups. In SS, the proportion of liver function abnormalities increased with age [<40 years: 14.9%(294/1 979); 40-59 years: 18.1%(858/4 741); ≥60 years: 20.4%(472/2 319)], whereas a reversal of this trend was observed in gout [<40 years: 34.9%(4 294/12 320); 40-59 years: 25.5%(2 905/11 398);≥60 years: 21.0%(1 042/4 971)].Conclusions:The proportions of combined liver function abnormalities in patients with rheumatologic diseases were high, and the utilization rates of liver-protective drugs were low. It is necessary to pay more attention to monitoring patients′ liver function, timely administer liver-protective drugs, and optimize liver-protective regimens during the treatment of rheumatic diseases.

BACKGROUND: The clinical features of enthesitis in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) have been reported in some Western countries, but data in China are very limited. This study aimed to describe the characteristics of enthesitis in Chinese patients with PsA and compared them with those in other cohorts. METHODS: Patients with PsA enrolled in the Chinese Registry of Psoriatic Arthritis (CREPAR) (December 2018 to June 2021) were included. Data including demographics, clinical characteristics, disease activity measures, and treatment were collected at enrollment. Enthesitis was assessed by the Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada (SPARCC), Maastricht ankylosing spondylitis enthesitis score (MASES), and Leeds enthesitis index (LEI) indices. A multivariable logistic model was used to identify factors related to enthesitis. We also compared our results with those of other cohorts. RESULTS: In total, 1074 PsA patients were included, 308 (28.7%) of whom had enthesitis. The average number of enthesitis was 3.3 ± 2.8 (range: 1.0-18.0). More than half of the patients (165, 53.6%) had one or two tender entheseal sites. Patients with enthesitis had an earlier age of onset for both psoriasis and arthritis, reported a higher proportion of PsA duration over 5 years, and had a higher percentage of axial involvement and greater disease activity. Multivariable logistic regression showed that axial involvement (odds ratio [OR] 2.21, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.59-3.08; P <0.001), psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) (OR: 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01-1.04; P = 0.002), and disease activity score 28-C reactive protein (DAS28-CRP) (OR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.01-1.55; P = 0.037) were associated with enthesitis. Compared with the results of other studies, Chinese patients with enthesitis had a younger age, lower body mass index (BMI), a higher rate of positive human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27, more frequent dactylitis, and a higher proportion of conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs' (csDMARDs) use. CONCLUSIONS Enthesitis is a common condition among Chinese patients with PsA. It is important to evaluate entheses in both peripheral and axial sites.
Humans ; Arthritis, Psoriatic/drug therapy* ; East Asian People ; Enthesopathy/complications* ; Registries ; Severity of Illness Index ; Spondylarthritis/epidemiology*

Objective:To evaluate the differences in clinical characteristics between different genders of Chinese patients with systemic sclerosis(SSc).Methods:The data of SSc patients registered in Chinese Rheumatism Data Center between August 2008 and June 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.Results:A total of 1 844 patients with SSc were enrolled in the study. The ratio of males to females was 289 to 1 555. The onset age was (48.6±13.7) years in males and (45.5±13.1) years in females( P<0.001). Male patients represented shorter disease duration [2.0(0.0, 4.0)years vs.3.0(1.0, 7.0) years, P<0.001],higher proportion of diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc) [63.0% (182/289)vs.44.2%(688/1 555), P<0.001]. Although more man patients experienced smoking [47.4%(137/289) vs. 1.7%(27/1 555), P<0.001] and exposure to harmful environments [7.6%(22/289) vs. 2.1%(33/1 555), P<0.001], there was no statistically significant difference in interstitial lung disease between male and female patients [69.3%(181/261) vs. 74.5%(1 085/1 457), P=0.084].Otherwise, Raynaud′s phenomenon [87.7% (1 364/1 555) vs.75.4%(218/289), P<0.001], arthritis [11.1%(173/1 555) vs.6.9%(20/289), P=0.032], gastroesophageal reflux disease [22.0%(342/ 1 555) vs.13.1%(38/289), P=0.001], and leucopoenia [10.7(161/1 511)% vs. 6.1%(17/279), P=0.019] were more common in female patients, but finger ulcer was less common [22.5%(350/1 555) vs. 30.4%(88/289), P=0.004]. Antinuclear antibody(ANA) positivity rate [85.6%(1 310/1 531) vs. 78.6%(221/281), P=0.003], anti-RNP antibody positivity rate [23.1%(342/1 479) vs.14.0%(38/271), P=0.001], anti-SSA antibody positivity rate [28.2%(419/1 487) vs.13.9%(38/274), P<0.001] were higher in female patients. Physician′s global assessment(PGA) scores [1.4 (1.0, 2.0) vs. 1.0 (0.3, 1.6), P<0.001] and modified Rodnan Skin Score(mRSS) [18.0 (9.5, 28.0) vs. 14.0 (5.0, 28.0), P=0.003] were higher in males. Conclusion:Even though male SSc patients account for a small proportion, more extensive skin involvement, finger ulcers and higher PGA are manifested in males. Physicians need pay attention to these clinical disparities between different genders in SSc.

BACKGROUND: The impact of sex on the clinical manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were diversely reported in the literature. The Chinese Registry of rhEumatoiD arthrITis provides a platform for the investigation of this issue in Chinese patients. METHODS: Demographic and clinical parameters were collected from all enrolled patients with RA and from patients with early RA (disease duration ≤6 months). The differences in data regarding disease activity, comorbidities, and medications for RA were compared between men and women. The proportions of patients who achieved remission and low disease activity were compared at enrollment and during 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up visits. RESULTS: A total of 11,564 patients were enrolled, 83.6% of whom were female. In all the enrolled patients and patients with early RA, C-reactive protein (CRP, 12.0 vs . 6.7 mg/L), pain visual analogue scale (4.8 vs . 4.5), patient's and physician's global assessment (4.9 vs . 4.5 and 4.9 vs . 4.5), 28-joint disease activity score using DAS28-CRP (4.3 vs . 4.0) simplified disease activity index (21.9 vs . 19.9), and clinical disease activity index (19.3 vs . 18.0) were significantly higher in men than in women. Additionally, the swollen joint count/tender joint count and DAS28 using erythrocyte sedimentation rate were higher in male patients than in female patients with early RA. More female patients with early RA reached the treatment target at baseline than male patients (23.4% vs . 18.2%, assessed by CDAI). At 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months, the proportion of remission and treatment target achievement was similar in both sexes. Coronary artery disease (CAD) and stroke were more frequent in men than in women. CONCLUSIONS In Chinese patients with RA, men were found to have more active disease, as well as more cases of CAD and stroke. Therefore, sex should be carefully considered during the personalization of RA treatment.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; East Asian People ; Severity of Illness Index ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Registries ; Stroke/drug therapy* ; Antirheumatic Agents/therapeutic use*

BACKGROUND: The onset and clinical presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are sex-related. Few studies have investigated the distinctions in clinical characteristics and treatment preferences in male and female SLE patients in the initial cohort. This study aimed to improve the understanding of Chinese SLE patients by characterizing the different sexes of SLE patients in the inception cohort. METHODS: Based on the initial patient cohort established by the Chinese SLE Treatment and Research Group, a total of 8713 patients (795 men and 7918 women) with newly diagnosed SLE were enrolled between April 2009 and March 2021. Of these, 2900 patients (347 men and 2553 women) were eligible for lupus nephritis (LN). A cross-sectional analysis of the baseline demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, laboratory parameters, organ damage, initial treatment regimens, and renal pathology classification was performed according to sex. RESULTS: In the SLE group, as compared to female patients, male patients had a later age of onset (male vs. female: 37.0 ± 15.8 years vs. 35.1 ± 13.7 years, P  = 0.006) and a higher SLE International Collaborative Clinic/American College of Rheumatology damage index score (male vs. female: 0.47 ± 1.13 vs. 0.34 ± 0.81, P  = 0.015), LN (male vs. female: 43.6% vs. 32.2%, P < 0.001), fever (male vs. female: 18.0% vs. 14.6%, P  = 0.010), thrombocytopenia (male vs. female: 21.4% vs. 18.5%, P  = 0.050), serositis (male vs. female: 14.7% vs. 11.7%, P  = 0.013), renal damage (male vs. female: 11.1% vs. 7.4%, P < 0.001), and treatment with cyclophosphamide (CYC) (P < 0.001). The frequency of leukopenia (male vs. female: 20.5% vs. 25.4%, P  = 0.002) and arthritis (male vs. female: 22.0% vs. 29.9%, P < 0.001) was less in male patients with SLE. In LN, no differences were observed in disease duration, SLE Disease Activity Index score, renal biopsy pathological typing, or 24-h urine protein quantification among the sexes. In comparisons with female patients with LN, male patients had later onset ages (P  = 0.026), high serum creatinine (P < 0.001), higher end-stage renal failure rates (P  = 0.002), musculoskeletal damage (P  = 0.023), cardiovascular impairment (P  = 0.009), and CYC use (P  = 0.001); while leukopenia (P  = 0.017), arthritis (P  = 0.014), and mycophenolate usage (P  = 0.013) rates were lower. CONCLUSIONS Male SLE patients had more severe organ damage and a higher LN incidence compared with female SLE patients; therefore, they may require more aggressive initial treatment compared to female patients.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Sex Characteristics ; East Asian People ; Severity of Illness Index ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/diagnosis* ; Lupus Nephritis/pathology* ; Registries ; Cyclophosphamide/therapeutic use* ; Thrombocytopenia ; Leukopenia/drug therapy* ; Arthritis

Objective:To understand the utilization situation of community health service institutions, the awareness of basic public health items and the degree of satisfaction of residents in Guangzhou City, so as to provide direction and reference for improving the quality of community health service in Guangzhou City.Methods:In December 2020, 1 050 residents in a district of Guangzhou City were selected by multi-stage random sampling method to fill out the questionnaire. Single factor analysis was used for Pearson chi-square test, and binary logistic regression analysis was used for multiple-factor analysis.Results:A total of 1 092 questionnaires were sent out and 1 050 were valid, with an effective rate of 96.2%. The average times of seeing a doctor or receiving other health services in community health service center in the past year were (4.60±4.10). The total awareness rate of basic public health services was 91.6%(962/1 050), and the total awareness rate of free public health services was 89.5% (940/1 050). The total scores of residents' satisfaction with community health service institutions were (4.61±0.75) points, among which the basic medical service scored the highest, and the institution facilities, system and basic information scored the lowest. Single factor analysis showed that 10 factors, such as type of medical insurance, preferred medical institution, walking time to community center and medical service time, were the influencing factors of residents' overall satisfaction. Multiple-factor analysis found that institutions and facilities, systems and basic conditions, basic medical services, medical expenses, the type of first-visited hospital were the four influencing factors of residents' overall satisfaction ( OR=21.294, 109.013, 18.203 and 20.989, respectively). Conclusion:The residents have a good utilization of community health services, and they have good awareness of public health service projects, but the residents' satisfaction with community health services still needs to be improved, especially in the aspects of facilities, equipment and service efficiency of medical staff.